Kolkata, March 13 (NationPress) Leaders of CPI(M) expressed strong disapproval of the West Bengal government's failure to execute the Supreme Court ruling mandating the disbursement of 25 percent of DA arrears from 2008 to 2019 by March 31.

Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, a CPI(M) leader and advocate, labeled the situation regrettable, noting that state government employees in West Bengal feel compelled to strike to enforce a Supreme Court decision.

In an interview with IANS, he stated, "A constitutional government should have promptly acted upon the directive from the highest constitutional authority. However, this (West Bengal) government is reluctant, forcing the employees to resort to a strike."

Various associations of West Bengal government employees, unified under the Sangrami Joutho Mancha (Joint Movement Forum), initiated a complete work stoppage on Friday to voice their grievances regarding the government's apparent indecision and inaction about the payment of Dearness Allowance (DA).

In response, the Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal government issued a notification mandating attendance for the affected employees on Friday to prevent salary cuts, except for those on leave with valid reasons.

Reacting to this notification, Bhattacharya remarked, "State government employees are unfazed by such threats. They have encountered similar intimidation previously and are primarily focused on securing their legal entitlements."

Following the suspension of court proceedings, he expressed regret, stating, "It is unfortunate that court proceedings must halt today because employees were forced into a strike due to the West Bengal government's disregard for the Supreme Court ruling."

Bhattacharya further questioned, "If the government neglects the apex court's ruling, can we expect it to respect the orders from the High Court?"

CPI(M) leader and advocate Sayan Banerjee stated to IANS, "This state government exhibits stubbornness and shows indifference towards Supreme Court rulings, tribunal decisions, and High Court orders. Their attitude towards the judiciary is dismissive."

Banerjee emphasized that the Supreme Court previously recognized that DA is an entitlement and must be paid along with any outstanding arrears. "This is the reason behind the strike call. I've joined their protest march to show my support," he added.

According to the Joint Movement Forum, the state government has signaled a disregard for the Supreme Court's ruling from last month, which mandated the payment of 25 percent of DA arrears from 2008 to 2019 by March 31. Additionally, it was instructed to follow a systematic approach, as directed by the apex court, to align DA payments for employees with those of Central government staff, as well as the arrears accumulated since 2008.